Has Recent Citrix Server Update Affected you Raiser's Edge Performance?

Jill Goldman

The recent Citrix update (week prior to 2/18/2020?) left us with a number of problems in Blackbaud Raiser's Edge (hosted).  Many of our user preferences reverted to defaults, and certain larger exports that worked prior to the update now cause the system to be unresponsive.  Blackbaud Support has been notably unsupportive, helpfully suggesting that we reset our preferences and referring us to a KB article that suggested breaking apart the export (not sure they should actually call this support).  Is anyone else experiencing these problems and do you have any suggestions?  I wish they would just roll back this update!

Thank you,

Jill

Dariel Dixon

What Citrix update are you referring to?  I haven't noticed any issues in performance at all?

Jane Marvin

we are experiencing hang ups in running acknowledgement mail merge. Testing and will contact BB support if necessary 

Janelle Wiza

Jane Marvin,

I'm also experiencing issues on loading PDFs into the media tab.  I was able to complete about 20 yesterday and around 2:00pm CST couldn't load anything, it just froze and the icon continued to spin.  It would take me 5 minutes to crash my application because it wouldn't let me save and exit.  Quit after 30 minutes of frustration and restarting, crashing, trying to load.  Same issue today.  Gave up after another 30 minutes trying again. 

Jane Marvin

I just tested that on my own record without a problem, uploading pdf to media tab. So far it's only acknowledgment letters (old or created new). Receipts in mail module are fine. Very weird! 

Mark Guncheon

We have RE users in multiple markets who experienced different problems Thursday including acknowledgement letters that would not consistently print like they normally do; login problems that were fixed when I changed the users login; other login problems that were fixed after I told them to reboot; incorrect gift information in a constituent export. Finally, the new color display for RE (which may be the default and it has changed for many of our users) clashed with what I was wearing yesterday. ? 


 

Jane Marvin

I have some vision issues and the color combo is really difficult to look at now. I guess I'll get used to it. Always love losing reset all my view and column choices when this happens, too.

Mark Guncheon

And I don't know that we can change the main colors of RE.  I played with them a little bit yesterday but really had no time to do that.

Becky Jones

The only thing I've noticed is I keep getting the "connection to your server has been lost" multiple times a day since this last update.  The NXT users didn't experience this but not sure how often they were actually active in NXT.  I use the database version because I'm responsible for the majority of the input of data.  Other than 'losing connection' multiple times, I didn't have any issues like my preferences being reverted back to default, etc.  I was able to add pdf's to the Media tab with no problems either.

Linda Gatzow

yes, Yes, YES! I've been back & forth with Support for over a week. They blamed Citrix for the appearance issues. Today, however, my Financial Edge users got the old look back. Some of my Raiser's Edge users also got the old look back this afternoon, while others still have the washed out look that was blamed on Citrix. We can't run letters if we choose several letter codes without clicking "yes" to a prompt for each, so our workaround is to run a batch several times selecting just one needed letter code each time. Support blamed Microsoft for that too, saying it's due to increased security levels by MS that cannot be removed. I suggested the work closer with both Citrix and MS when changes are expected, then beta test the affect on BB products before roll-out. Support said, "great" but here's a link so you can direct your comments where their Developers will see them. Support wouldn't even let Developers know there were issues. Frustrated!

Becky Jones

generally customer support for RE has been very good over the 27 years I've used it.  I think the support people will mention the issues but the suggestions will garner more 'steam' if they come directly from BB clients in my opinion.  I'm not sure about what color change everyone is referring to with the rollout though.  Nothing about my display has changed.

George Hsing

Hello Jill,


I've been following this thread since the beginning.    Concerning your issue with reverting to defaults, exports that are unresponsive, screen/display changes.   My department has at least 7 people that use RE/Database View full-time and we have not experienced these issues so far (knock on wood). 


1.Concerning the he "screendisplay changes" issue, I experinced that a few times for RE/FE even in the on-premise (non-hosted) RE environment.   I forgot what the root cause was, but the resolution has to go to your computer's display setting and select another set of configuration.   Check and make sure your PC has not changed recently.  This KB descirbes something similar. This KB describes something similar https://kb.blackbaud.com/articles/Article/37697

2. Concerning your performance issue, export or using mail-merging with receipts or acknolwledgement letters.  I personally experienced this issue for my users. For the performance issues, determine the root case by checking if one of these variable are slowing down your process. (PC, network speed, network connection).  If your PC is in the middle of a windows update or virus scan, it will affect your RE export/merge.   The same if your network speed is slow (check using https://www.speedtest.net/), anything over 10 mbps should be sufficient).  If you have a physical network wire vs. a wireless connection, try the network wire as normally it is faster and more consistent.  If what I wrote is too confusing, have your IT staff take care of the research.

3. For large exports, (ie. more than a few thousand), I recommend using your Blackbaud hosted drives when possible.  In our hosted environment, we have a F: hosted drive (accessible by users in my department) and a M: hosted drive (accessible only by me).  In my experience, the Blackbaud hosted drives can speed up your large export/mail merge anywhere from 3-10 fold.  For large exports that nomally take 1-2 hours, it can be just 5-10 minutes if you export the file to your Blackbaud hosted drive.   Your hosted drive is found under the database icon, named "Hosted Files".  If you have a large export with complex calcuations (ie. averge, total, count...) that runs long, using the hosted drive will also protect you in case of network or pc issues.   This avoids you to re-run the export.

4. If you continue to experience these issues after addressing the above two issues, contact your account rep and have him/her help you.  I find them to be very helpful.


Sincerely,

George

Linda Gatzow

I'm beginning to think the problem is isolated to some of their servers. I'm trying very hard to identify the issue because this is the 8th day with problems. When we're connected, I check the Citrix Connection Center to see what server each user is logged onto. On some servers, there is no problem. Users experiencing the host of issues I've been reporting are logged onto other servers. Although we share the same site ID, functionality and appearance is different BY user and the only difference I see is the server connection. Reported this to Support yesterday. No response yet. If you're NOT experiencing this, good for you. But it is a reality for others.

Aparna Chidambaram

We just experienced the changes and I agree with the comments above that the new appearance is quite hurtful to my eyes. 


Also, what fun to realize that my defaults had been reset! :-(


I have voted on the ideas about resetting appearance. Just realized that my Gift records had reverted to the default. We didn't have any gifts today so didn't do any acknowledgement letters. Crossing my fingers for no changes/problems there.


Yikes! What a pain....

Marcy DiBlasio

I am so frustrated with Blackbaud! Not only are many of our users have trouble even accessing records (they get an error that says they do not have access to view gift records - which is true, since our volunteers don't see that info. - but now they can't even open constituent records at all).  This is a mess, and I am continually told that it has nothing to do with the recent updates.  BULL!

Jeannie Patch

Yes to all the problems posted here since the update. The washed-out colors in database view are especially tough on the eyes!

Becky Jones

Jennie Patch, what exactly are you referring to with the washed out colors in the database view?  I haven't noticed anything...wonder why it's not an 'across the board' change to everyone?

Thanks! Becky

Jane Marvin

overall color scheme lighter, difficult to read, happened at the same time as latest update. 

Marcy DiBlasio

YES! Hate the new look too.  I don't think I get paid to be a day-long troubleshooter

J. A. Mariani

Yes and it's very frustrating, even though they aren't "big" problems. We are hosted and got whammied 3/13 to v. 7.96.6402.18.


1. Color scheme is brighter and aids in my eyes getting weary sooner.

2. All our column selection had been defaulted. Not a huge problem for me since I made screenshots of my setups a while ago. ?

3. The title bar text (constituent name, query name, etc.) in the middle is an odd choice. The industry norm is on the left and it should go back there.

4. Multiple users here can no longer re-order addresses on the Addresses tab.

    4a. Home/preferred now defaults to the bottom of the list; even on previously re-ordered addresses. My own record was correct (Home, Business, then former addresses), but now Home is last.

5. Now and then when trying to save a constituent we get an error: "Invalid Number: Sequence" and will then open the current/preferred address. Can see nothing wrong with it so no clue what sequence is being referenced. The only workaround I found is to re-create a "new" address record and re-enter the info and delete the error-ing one; then record saves just fine.


So far, that's all I've come across in the Con column. 


On the plus side, at least one thing that wasn't working properly is now!

 

Serena Livingston

Screen resolution is not as sharp for me - with the new washed out look.

I have to say that I am not a fan - it makes it very hard to see even with my reading or computer glasses.

This happened to me at a previous institution with a previous Citrix update.

Very frustrating ... am tempted to roll back my Citrix version if I can.

 

Anna Zimmerman

I think mine just updated over night! I actually thought I was in the BBU Sample database for a minute. haha. 

Ray Huber

The new scheme hurts my eyes and makes it harder to read text.

Scott Stare

When in a record or query I click on the calendar icon to bring up a calendar to change a date. I now have to click the date I want twice for it to be selected.  Anyone else having that problem?

Jane Marvin

When we enter check dates, it doesn't always "stick." Quit, go back in and try again. It's really horrid. 

Sandy Champlin

Every time there is any kind of update, all of our defaults are reset.  This happened again last night, all column settings, profile settings and business rules defaults are reset.  Recent updates have altered our default print set-up so that we are having issues printing many items from within a constituent record, such as envelopes,  It's very frustrating and time consuming.

 

Eric Baerg

Sandy Champlin:

Every time there is any kind of update, all of our defaults are reset.  This happened again last night, all column settings, profile settings and business rules defaults are reset.  Recent updates have altered our default print set-up so that we are having issues printing many items from within a constituent record, such as envelopes,  It's very frustrating and time consuming.

 

Yep, super annoying and a waste of our time.